


I shut my eyes and the whole world drops dead

by WitcherSexual



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Betaed, Flash Fic, Gen, Halloween, Horror, Jaskier has a monster after him, Saovine, creepy child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27315376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitcherSexual/pseuds/WitcherSexual
Summary: He tried to look away but the cracking of bones breaking made it impossible with every passing second and he shivered again before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around to see the little girl holding a skull in her hands. Jaskier took it from her and as he turned it around he let out a scream before dropping it, and watched the spiders crawl out of the eye sockets and scurry away as the skull was absorbed by the earth.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 10
Kudos: 8
Collections: The Witcher Flash Fic Challenge: Halloween Special





	I shut my eyes and the whole world drops dead

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my lovely Betas, SweetestHoney and Locktea! They were both marvelous
> 
> Title is from 'Mad Girl's Love Song' by Sylvia Plath.

Jaskier shivered as he walked through the forest; Geralt had wandered away and told him to stay, but there was a little girl who had run past him. He couldn’t exactly let her run into the monster's mouth. He had the sense to not shout and he tried to keep his steps as quiet as possible as he searched for her, trying to stay away from the monster. He had no idea what the monster was -- Geralt said he would be safe with the witcher by his side -- but he wasn’t allowed to watch the actual fight. 

He spotted a flash of white in a clearing just a few meters away and walked a little faster. As he walked into the clearing the sky darkened and he felt himself go cold all over, like someone had thrown him into a frozen lake -- he knew what that felt like since Geralt had done it when they had encountered a  bloedzuiger -- and he turned to his left with a scream as the little girl stood beside him, pointing across the clearing. 

He turned his head, the clearing filling with a fog that appeared suddenly and he shivered again, his eyes finding the thing she pointed at. He watched as fires erupted from the ground, twisting around and lighting the sky up like a red hot knife slicing upwards. 

“Fuck.” He whispered. He  _ had  _ to go over and investigate, he couldn’t ignore it. Well he  _ could _ , he could turn away and pretend he had never seen it, but he wouldn’t. He walked closer, his eyes on the flames that were taller than a building, and as he grew closer he spotted that the wood wasn’t wood, it was skulls and bones. “Double fuck.”

He tried to look away but the cracking of bones breaking made it impossible with every passing second and he shivered again before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around to see the little girl holding a skull in her hands. Jaskier took it from her and as he turned it around he let out a scream before dropping it, and watched the spiders crawl out of the eye sockets and scurry away as the skull was absorbed by the earth. 

“It’s a dream, Geralt is going to wake me up soon, it’s all a dream.” Jaskier covered his eyes, trying to wake himself up from the nightmare he was in but when he opened them again he was still in the clearing with the little girl and the fire. “Okay, it will be okay.”

“I want to show you,” Jaskier looked at the little girl as she spoke, her voice didn’t sound entirely human, like it was echoing off walls. Her mouth hadn’t moved, but he heard her. She started to walk towards the fire, her steps not making a sound as she stepped on leaves and when Jaskier followed he felt himself grow cold again. 

The little girl turned to see him and with a grin that he could only call horrifying she walked into the fire and held her hand out for Jaskier to take. He watched as the flames burned her skin, her dress burning and leaving her exposed. He watched as her skin bubbled and eventually melted off her face and her hand. She was left standing, her bones glowing with the heat, and Jaskier felt sick to his stomach at the burning flesh smell that invaded his senses. 

“Not real, not real.” He walked backwards, he needed to wake up, this nightmare needed to end. “Geralt please wake me up.” He didn’t close his eyes again, he didn’t want to risk opening them to see something staring right at him. 

“Jaskier, join me.” The voice rang in his head again and he shook his head,  _ not real, not real,  _ he repeated his mantra over and over as the little girl taunted him with laughter. “Jaskier, I miss you.”

He chanced a look at the little girl and he felt his blood go cold at the image. The fire had died out but she stood on top of the skulls with a smile that looked carved into her skull, her eyes burned away only a flame sitting inside the sockets. “Play us a song Jaskier, we want to hear it.” She clapped her hands as she spoke and Jaskier couldn’t say no or run away so he stood and stared at her, his heart beating twice as fast as it should be.

He wanted to move, he wanted to run in the opposite direction but something stuck him in place and he was forced to look at the little girl. He couldn’t blink or move his fingers, he wanted to scream but nothing came out when he tried, as he watched the little girl… well, float was the only word he could come up with. She landed on the ground just in front of him and he tried to scream as her bone fingers reached over and touched his forehead, brushing the hair aside with a smile; he looked into the fire that replaced her eyes and he tried to force his body to react again. It didn’t. 

“You can stay with us forever, we can keep you alive and listen to your music.” She let her hand fall to his shoulder and his skin turned ice cold at the contact but she kept speaking to him like she didn’t see his fear. “We heard you sing with that witcher and we wanted you. He won’t care if you leave him.” 

Jaskier tried to ignore the words, ignore the way they reflected his own internal thoughts. He needed to fight whatever the thing was. Her hand fell to his chest, just above his heart, and he felt his own heartbeat increase; it sounded like a drum in his ear as she moved around him and pulled at the lute on his back. 

“Say yes, Jaskier, say you want to stay with us forever and ever.” Her voice took a more childlike tone as she spoke and Jaskier felt a pull to agree with her, to say yes. He was about to and just before he could, he caught a glimpse of white hair and his mind told him he was safe. “Jaskier! Say yes now!” She sounded desperate and Jaskier felt his mouth open to form the word. 

As he started speaking the girl screamed and threw her hand behind him again and he heard the thud of something collapsing and screaming. His mind was still on the word but before he could say it the little girl burst into flames beside him and the full body chill left him as she crumpled down into the ground. His mind was freed and he fell to his knees as well, a sob shaking his body before he registered that he was crying. 

“Jaskier.” A voice sounded from behind him, one he would recognize anywhere, and he turned to see Geralt through his blurred vision. “Jask, are you okay? Did it hurt you?” He shook his head as he sobbed into Geralt’s chest. “Let’s get you out of here.” Geralt lifted him, moving him away from the clearing, and Jaskier hid his face in his friend's neck as he sobbed, each inhale shaking his body. 

They set up in the inn and Geralt changed Jaskier into one of his shirts before holding him as he tried to stop the fear making him shake and scream. Geralt watched him scream silently, watched him scratch at his hair and arms before finally Axii'ing him, and Jaskier finally fell into a dreamless sleep. 

Jaskier awoke to Geralt standing guard at their door. He sat up and before he could even make a joke about a bad dream he caught sight of his arms and stopped moving. His skin had been scratched raw, his own nails red with dried blood, and he looked to Geralt with wide eyes, questioning without words. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think leaving you would be bad. I thought it was just a Cockatrice but the thing set it up as a distraction. I left you alone, I’m sorry.” Geralt shook his head and Jaskier wanted to cry. It really happened. That  _ thing  _ tried to kill him. “I never encountered one, but the locals call her The Child, she only comes out at Saovine and she tries to get humans to be her vessel.” 

_ Vessel.  _ His mind kept on repeating the word,  _ vessel, vessel, vessel, _ he had almost said yes to her, he had almost been a vessel for that thing. “Fuck.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Jaskier wanted to reach out and take Geralt’s hand in his, he wanted to have his friend to cry on, but Geralt wasn’t moving closer. 

“Geralt,” Jaskier reached out and Geralt took it before Jaskier was being pulled into the witcher’s chest,  _ safe _ . His eyes were dry, but he could feel each dry sob rack his body and his mind kept on reminding him that  _ he had almost died _ . 

“I’ll always save you Jask, always.” Jaskier couldn’t do anything but gasp for air and Geralt didn’t let him go, instead holding him tighter. Jaskier didn’t close his eyes, too scared to see the girl and the skin melting from her face as she called his name. He shivered as a cold chill passed through the room and he thought he heard a whisper of her voice, but Geralt hadn’t reacted so he didn’t say anything. 

They didn’t leave the room that day and when they finally started their journey again, Geralt put Jaskier on Roach and kept his sword in his hand at all times. Jaskier was grateful for that and his mind calmed, but there still seemed to be something missing; every time he turned around he caught a glimpse of a white dress but it was gone on a second look. Geralt never mentioned anything so Jaskier ignored it as they kept walking. He wanted to be away from the town as soon as possible, and he never wanted to return. 

When they entered the next big city they ran across Geralt dragged him to a blacksmith and ordered him an iron, silver, and gold bracelet - an expensive necessity he called it. They stayed together as the blacksmith crafted it and when Jaskier placed it around his wrist he felt the cold that seemed to follow him leave, the thing in the corner of his eye disappeared, and he let out a small sigh of relief. 

They kept walking, never going back to the city with The Child, and whenever Jaskier took the bracelet off Geralt made sure to be beside him with his sword out in case of danger. Jaskier had never felt safer in his life. 


End file.
